Sichuan Earthquake China 12 th May 2008 2

Sichuan Earthquake, China 12 th May 2008, 2: 30 pm Causes, primary & secondary effects, short term & long term responses

Location & Cause Indian Plate collides into Eurasian Plate (vel. c 50 mm/yr) – destructive collision 12 th May 2008, 2: 30 pm Epicentre was 90 km north-west of Chengdu, Sichuan 7. 9 Richter scale, tremors lasted 120 seconds 1. 5 km of surface faults were observed

The affected area KEY IDEA: Sichuan Province – this is predominantly a rural area. China is a vast country. It is argued that its government neglects its rural areas – NO warning for the people in Sichuan- led to a severely high death toll.

Primary Effects 70, 000 dead, 20, 000 missing, 400, 000 injured 50 million people affected, 15 million evacuated 5 million buildings collapsed, 21 million damaged, 5 million homeless in Sichuan 8 schools were toppled

Secondary Effects: Fractured Dams 3, 000 dams fractured threatening 700, 000 people downstream

Secondary Effects: Quake Lakes

Secondary Effects: Economic Cost Economic loss estimated at US$86 billion

Short-Term Responses • Government mobilised 80, 000 troops, due to mountainous terrain some troops had to be parachuted in • Troops used explosives and even missiles to blast channels to relieve the water pressure building up in Tangjiashan - the largest of the lakes caused by the earthquake and its aftershocks. http: //news. bbc. co. uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7404614. stm

Long-Term Responses • 95 billion yuan given by Chinese government to relief fund • Areas of Sichuan are still not redeveloped • 29 billion yuan required for local economy to recover Media coverage in China and around the world was handled carefully so not to show China in a bad light in the run up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics